ACNC Website Gets a Revamp
15 October 2018 at 5:04 pm
The updated Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission website is being met with positive feedback from the sector, after a four day website closure to fix speed and accessibility issues.
The ACNC reopened their website on Monday morning, and said while the web content remained the same, the site had a new look, the charity register was now faster and easier to use, and the way to log into the charity portal has changed.
ACNC commissioner Dr Gary Johns told Pro Bono News he wanted to thank charities for their patience while the website was updated.
“This has allowed us to improve the ACNC’s online presence and provide a more stable, reliable website and charity portal,” Johns said.
The update was welcomed by several in the sector, who said the website was noticeably faster, and easier to use.
Fay Fuller Foundation CEO Stacey Thomas said as their charity was a funding foundation, they used the website regularly for due diligence practices, and that the updates had made it easier and faster to use the website.
“Having the ACNC update their website in such a way shows they are committed to the transparency of the sector and that’s really pleasing to see,” Thomas told Pro Bono News.
Justice Connect’s head of not-for-profit law Sue Woodward also told Pro Bono News as she frequently used the charity register and referred people to the ACNC website, she was thrilled it had been updated with improved speed.
But Woodward said charities would have to be careful about the URLs they were sending out, as many had changed.
“URLs we’ve used previously for the ACNC are now coming up with error messages, so organisations will need to update them.,” Woodward said.
Johns also recently announced the ACNC would be extending the 2018 Annual Information Statement from 31 December to 31 March, 2019, to combat any adverse effects of the four day website closure.
“I know that some charities are disappointed that the 2018 Annual Information Statement has not yet been made available… I have exercised my discretion to extend the due date,” he said.
“I hope this will allow all charities ample time to complete their annual reporting requirements.”
